Caribou girl who was burned when clothes caught fire transferred to Boston for treatment

CARIBOU, Maine — A local girl burned over the weekend when her clothes caught fire has been transferred to Shriners Hospital in Boston as the investigation into the cause of the fire continues, Tim Lowell, investigator with the state fire marshal’s office, said Tuesday afternoon.

The youngster is identified as Jasmine Long, 8, who was living with her father, Scott Long, 39, on the second floor of 15 Prospect St. in Caribou, Lowell said.

The elder Long was awoken Sunday morning at their residence by his daughter screaming and when he went to her he found the T-shirt and sweatshirt she was wearing on fire, Lowell said.

Jasmine Long was taken by ambulance to Cary Medical Center in Caribou and then flown later Sunday to Maine Medical Center in Portland.

On Monday Long was transferred to the Boston hospital for continued treatment of second degree burns to her torso and arms, Lowell said.

Also in the house at the time of the accident were Jasmine Long’s 11-year-old brother and Scott Long’s girlfriend Miranda Mancos, no age given.

On Tuesday, Steve Austin, principal at Teague Park Elementary School where Jasmine Long attends third grade, met with staff to brief them on the incident, according to Frank McElwain, superintendent of RSU 39.

“We wanted to make sure [the staff] had clear information on what happened,” McElwain said. “We asked staff to be sensitive to student concerns and if the students had any questions or needed to talk to go to the guidance office.”

No charges are anticipated in the case, which remains under investigation by Lowell and Caribou Police Department officer Mark Gahagan, according to Lowell.

There were not working smoke detectors in the residence at the time of the fire, the fire investigator said.